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The Harlem Renaissance was a period in which female African Americans could educate society on the gender inequality of this era and discuss the importance of individuality through their works. Many of these pieces still serve as a tool for people today to learn about the oppression of women during this time. In the 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, author Zora Neale Hurston uses Janie’s struggle for equal power during her relationships to explore the idea that if a woman prioritizes finding her individuality before finding a partner, she will be able to define herself rather than be dependent on a relationship to do it for her.
Although Janie eventually gains confidence in herself, she first endures her controlling partners’ torment. Shortly after Logan tries to force Janie to do housework and degrade her, he says, “Ah’ll take holt uh dat ax and come under and kill yuh!” (Hurston 64) which illustrates the mental abuse Janie experiences in the novel. This particular example of mental torture is significant because Janie is submissive in how Logan treats her, which consequently restrains Janie’s ability to grow and value herself as an individual. She cannot explore her character for herself because a dominating partner is always persecuting her— therefore diminishing her self-worth and enhancing Hurston’s idea that it is challenging to become independent when an individual is unable to first find a real sense of themselves because of their dependence on others.
Although Janie finally becomes free from Logan, she is not free of the controlling relationships that prevail throughout her life. Joe purchases the mule, thinking that Janie will be happy considering the gesture was for her; however, she is upset because he would not allow her to participate in the fun on the porch. When Joe responds to Janie’s sadness, he states, “He ought to box her jaws!” (98) showing how Jody thought it was necessary to hit Janie to conceal her emotions of sadness. This idea of suppressing Janie’s feelings is significant because it shows how Jody would not allow Janie to be responsible for her actions and thoughts; he needed to make her conform to how he thought she should feel— not how she felt. This contributes to Hurston’s theme of power struggles by diminishing any chance for Janie to express herself during their relationship.
Even when Joe dies and Janie becomes happier with Tea Cake, she is still subject to the normalcy of abuse and oppression aimed at women during this time. Even though Tea Cake appears to be the most progressive person out of Janie’s relationships, he still uses her as a device to assert his dominance. He exemplifies his abuse of power by beating Janie to prove to Mrs. Turner that he controls her.
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